Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is a term that can be summed up by the phrase ‘practise makes perfect’. CPD is vital to keep your team’s skills updated, making sure their abilities or qualifications don’t become obsolete. Your business can help support staff using a range of learning activities, helping them achieve the level of CPD they are required to have. We therefore share the different types of CPD and why it helps your team.
Types of Continuing Professional Development
CPD works by each individual keeping track of a CPD record. In this, your team members will track their learning activities throughout the year, the number of hours and points, as well as a copy of the delegate CPD certificates for each activity. Professional bodies then review these portfolios, if needed, to make sure individuals are meeting their annual Continuing Professional Development hours and point requirements.
With this in mind, there are several types of CPD your team can get involved with, with many requiring a mixture:
Structured CPD – This is a more interactive approach to help your team learn. These could be training courses, workshops, conferences, seminars, lectures and e-learning courses to name but a few.
Reflective CPD – This style favours those who learn by consuming the information. Reading articles, news pieces, case studies, industry updates and listening to podcasts all fall into this category.
Self-directed CPD – This places learning in your teams’ hands, unsupervised. This favours those who want to take control with when and how they learn, helping them upskill on their own terms.
Armed with these different types of CPD courses and our vital tips to train your staff, you can create a plan for your team.
CPD sharpens your team’s skills
The strongest reason your team should partake in any Continuing Professional Development is because it strengthens their skills. Make sure you have a discussion with each member of your team to find out their long-term goals and what short-term targets and learning you can set to help them reach these. Targets are important to set for personal development, as these provide a goal for each team member to work towards.
Once in-place, you can serve the appropriate learning methods and resources to help upskill your team. Continuous upskilling will help boost your team’s confidence and proficiency in their role.
CPD benefits your clients
Refining existing areas of skill will help your team provide an even higher quality of service to clients. Additionally, if your team learn how to carry out new or popular treatments they couldn’t do before, this will enable even more bookings in those areas. No matter what, Continuing Professional Development will improve the experience you offer to clients. When combined with our advice in further ways to improve your salon or spa client experience, you will soon leave a lasting impression.
Continuing Professional Development encourages staff retention
Through providing a culture that promotes Continuing Professional Development, you help make staff feel valued. This is one secret to help attract and retain spa staff during the spa recruitment crisis. Each member of your team will be appreciative that you are supporting their personal development in a professional environment, helping them achieve their career goals. This will encourage them to stay with your business more long-term.
CPD builds confidence
Continuing Professional Development will help your staff build their confidence in areas they previously may have been uncertain about. For example, perhaps they know the basics of your software, but your new employees might need software training on more advanced features? Or perhaps staff are unsure of what they need to know to treat spa clients with cancer? Whatever the case, helping them develop their skills will give them a boost in confidence to use your software or cater to all types of clients.
Core by Premier Software® and Salon by Premier Software® help support your team through the ability to schedule internal reviews, assign new treatments to staff, measure your team’s performance and more.
In addition, Premier Software has partnered with Made for Life Organics to help spas become more inclusive by training staff in Cancer Touch Therapy™. Spas who are already using or purchase Core will receive an exclusive 25% discount off the qualification. To find out more about the partnership and claim your discount code, click the button below.